Hunter
by The Magnificent Kiwi
Summary: Mundus has once again been resurrected and is hunting the servants who betrayed him a year ago. Caught up in the cross-fire, Dante is determined to save the one he loves and once and for all destroy the demon prince. Rating may change. R&R please.
1. Prologue

It was a cold, wet night. The raindrops thudded off the pavement, bouncing a few inches off the ground as countless people ran forshelter. A young couple who appeared to be in their early twenties were running for the shelter of an abandoned warehouse. The female held her hands above her head in a vain attempt to keep herself dry, but the man payed no attention to the torrential downpour.  
  
The old warehouse had been empty for decades, and a countless number of rats, spiders and God knows what else had made their home in its dusty walls.  
  
"Wow, this place is huge!" The girl, who was called Jane, exclaimed. "Anthony, how did you know about this place? I've lived here all my life and have never even heard about it!" Anthony smiled and shrugged.  
  
"My grandfather used to work here. Very briefly," he explained. Jane ran her fingers along the wall and they came away black with countless years' worth of dirt. The interior of the warehouse seemed to be much larger than the exterior suggested. There were still crates piled up against the back wall and broken, rotting beams lay on the floor below the battered roof. There were countless holes in the ceiling, leaking rainwater onto the dusty floor. She couldn't see what was on the upper floor as it was hidden by a veil of darkness. Every few seconds, the room was illuminated by a flash of lightning and the couple could see rats scurrying across the floor for a place to hide.  
  
"It's not the Hilton, but it'll do," Jane smiled. Unfortunately, the filthy surroundings had put her off doing what she had hoped they would do. She never usually went the full way on the first date, but she had a feeling about Anthony. A cloud passed, causing a small shaft of moonlight to stream in through one of the many windows. She couldn't help noticing a flicker of pain in Anthony's eyes as the moonlight lit up his face. Was it just her, or did he have more stubble than he had when she had met him? She shrugged off the thought as another cloud passed over the moon, blocking its light.  
  
"Hey, can we go now...I booked a table for ten, and it's ten to," Jane said. She was starting to feel a bit uneasy in Anthony's presence.  
  
"No, wait...I need to feed a few friends," was his reply. Jane looked at him, confused and grabbed his shoulder, forcing him to turn around. She screamed and backed off a few steps when she saw his face. His once-kind eyes now stung with bitter coldness and sweat was pouring down his face, despite the low temperature. She backed off a few more steps, only to bump in to someone. Or something. She turned around, panicking and tried to kick the person away, but he grabbed her and threw her against a wall. Dazed, Jane tried to stand up, but her legs wouldn't obey her. She looked up, trying to find somewhere to hide, only to find that another man had already joined Anthony and the stranger. The new man looked at her and his eyes turned jet black. And she was sure that it wasn't just her this time, because his teeth started to elongate and hair was sprouting on his face, completely disguising his human face. Clothes started to tear and bones began to crack and reshape as the man shed his human disguise. Before long, the man had disappeared, and in his place stood a creature that looked like a cross between a man and a wolf. Jane screamed as the creature started towards her with incredible speed. She closed her eyes, waiting for its teeth to sink into her skin, but it never happened. That was when she heard the gunshots. She opened her eys, wondering what had happened and was relieved to see that the creature was gone and the man had returned, lying naked, face down on the floor in a pool of his own blood. His back was riddled with bullet holes. The other men were confused, and looked around for the slayer of their fellow werewolf when their eyes fell upon a dark figure standing in front of the window on the opposite side of the warehouse. Another flash of lightning revealed the figure as a man in his late twenties, completely dressed in red and pointing a smoking gun at the corpse that lay on the floor.  
  
"Sparda! Get him!" Anthony yelled, and the other stranger shed his human form, leaping at the window, only to hit splintered wood. The werewolf looked around, confused and snifing the air. He could smell nothing, only the fear of the young mortal girl. It leapt back down to ground level and surveyed the top floor. Nothing. Their guest had seemingly vanished into thin air. It growled one last time, signalling to Anthony that he had gone when a searing pain tore through its chest. It looked down to see the tip of a silver dagger protruding from its chest. It gave one last pitiful howl before falling to the floor as a bloodied, battered human corpse. Anthony looked at the man as he wiped the dagger on his leg and placed it back into its sheath.  
  
"Hello," he said, smiling at the fear of the other man. It was obvious that he was a relatively new werewolf as he seemed to fear Changing. "My name is Dante." Dante laughed as the other man whimpered and tried to step backwards but tripped over an rotting beam. Dante casually walked up to the terrified man and placed a foot on his chest, pointing a white gun at his head.  
  
"Are you scared?" He asked. Anthony nodded sheepishly, not taking his eyes off the Devil Hunter. "Good. Now I want you to go and tell all of your carnivorous friends about me, and tell them to think twice before preying on innocent humans. And remember this...I'll be watching. Always." Dante holstered his gun and turned around to see to the girl when he heard a growl form behind him. He spun around just in time to see a fully-grown werewolf soaring through the air towards him. He sighed and pulled out his guns, shooting at the creature until it was no more.  
  
"Stupid animal," he muttered. He heard another whimper behind him, this time feminine. He saw the girl cowering in a corner and made his way over to her.  
  
"Please don't hurt me!" She begged. Dante smiled and held out his hand.  
  
"I'm not going to, miss. Are you alright?" He replied. She looked at his hand, debating whether to take it or not. In the end, she reached up and took it and he helped her up.  
  
"Yeah, I'm fine. Who are you?" She asked, wanting to know who to thank for saving her life.  
  
"My name is Dante, and that's all you need to know. I need you to make me a promise. You have to promise me that you won't tell anyone what happened here tonight. If you do, more of them will come after you. At least this way they will think that I killed them just for being werewolves," he said. He lost Jane back at his name, and she looked at him in confusion. Werewolves? They didn't exist, they were jsut part of mythological tales. Weren't they? Trying not to look too dumb, she nodded.  
  
"Ok," she told him, making her way out into the cold night.  
  
'Another job done,' Dante thought. A few hours ago, a suspicious barman had rang him and asked him to check it out. It was lucky that the barman had been an old friend, otherwise he wouldn't have bothered investigating it. He knew that Trish was looking forward to their first free night in weeks. He didn't like disappointing her, but work was work and lives depended on it.  
  
"Hell hath no fury like a woman scorned," he said aloud. He dreaded to think what she would do to him when he got back. Maybe there was still enough time to make it up to her.  
  
A sudden crack behind him made him turn around, weapons drawn. A figure stood up on the floor above him, moving back into the shadows when he saw it. He cast a last suspicious glance at the shadows before shrugging and leaving the warehouse.  
  
Up amongst the boxes and crates, eyes watched him leave. Demon eyes.

* * *

Trish closed her eyes as the bedroom door opened and closed. She knew who it was and, for once, she wished that it was someone else. She heard the floorboards creak as he made his way around the other side of the bed. She shut her eyes tighter as she heard his clothes and weapons fall to the floor with a thud and tried not to move when she felt him climb into bed beside her. She waited for it and, sure enough, the covers disappeared, leaving her shivering on the end of the bed. A few seconds later she felt a muscular arm wrap around her waist from behind and the familiar smell of aftershave, tainted a little by the smell of animals this time, invaded her nostrils.  
  
"Cold?" Dante asked.  
  
"Not until you came in," she replied, not bothering to open her eyes. "What took you so long, and why do you smell like a dog?"  
  
"Well, tailing a werewolf is no easy job. Neither is wrestling with one," he replied, kissng her on the cheek. She didn't respond, not even with a smile.  
  
"Why did you go out tonight?" She asked. Dante sighed.  
  
"You know fine well why," he replied. "It's my job to help people out with demon problems."  
  
"Last I checked, werewolves weren't demons." Dante sighed again. There was no getting round her this time, that he knew for sure. He smiled and started to kiss her neck. 'Let's just get straight to the point,' he decided.  
  
"Well, I'm here now, so let's have some fun," he told her, sliding his hand up her stomach.  
  
"Dante! It's one in the morning! I'm tired!" She complained. "Maybe if you had been in earlier I would have taken you up on that offer."  
  
She turned around and kissed him gently on the lips, giving him a reminder of what he passed up on.  
  
"Goodnight," she said.  
  
"Trish...those werewolves though, they were able to change at will. The moon didn't seem to affect them," he said, trying to mix a little business with pleasure. "And...someone, or something was watching me." Trish laughed.  
  
"Dante, why would anyone want to watch you? You were probably just imagining things. Maybe because you are tired, so get some rest, I might have forgiven you by tomorrow." Dante replaced his arm around her waist and closed his eyes. Who was watching him? And what did they want?  
  
**AN** - Well, my first Devil May Cry fic. Please tell me what you think, and whether or not I should continue. If you have any suggestions for characters or storylines, they will be greatly appreciated because I am known to scrap an idea if I begin to have doubts about it. Thanks. 


	2. Fill My Dark Soul With Light

**_How can you see into my eyes like open doors  
Leading you down into my core  
Where I've become so numb without a soul m_****_y spirit sleeping somewhere cold   
Until you find it there and lead it back home_**

Trish was in the kitchen, trying to prepare breakfast. So far she had three burnt fingers and a sore toe. She had tried her best to hide the broken pieces of the bowl she had dropped, but most of them lay just outside the window. Footsteps made her turn around, and she saw Dante shuffle into the kitchen.

"Sleep well?" She asked. A grunt told her all she needed to know.

"Where is the bathroom?" He asked. Trish giggled and pointed to the ceiling.

"Upstairs," she answered. "Listen, why don't you just go back to bed? I can handle things down here. It's not like we get many phone calls anyway." Dante shuffled to a seat and flopped down on it, his crimson robe falling down over one shoulder. He drummed his fingers on the table top a few times, like he always did when he wanted someone's attention.

"Dante, if this is about whatever happened last night, then just forget it!" She tried. She didn't get a response; Dante just continued to stare at her stomach, not even seeing her. Trish sighed and grabbed a knife from the bench. Taking a deep breath, she threw it towards Dante, causing a sickening crack as it landed in the centre of his hand. Dante blinked and looked down at the sharp object that had torn through the flesh and bone of his hand. He blinked stupidly again and looked up at Trish, grimacing as she pulled the blade from his hand.

"Ow, bitch!" He yelled as he studied the angry wound on the palm of his hand. "It went all the way through!"

"Sorry, I missed." Trish smiled as she wiped the blade clean. Dante swore under his breath. Of course she wasn't sorry, and she had better aim than him most of the time. Sure, the wound would heal within the hour if he tried hard enough, but he was still annoyed that she had caught him off-guard.

"Something just isn't right!" He cried out in frustration, immediately forgetting the throbbing pain in his hand which had already stopped bleeding. "The only other times that werewolves have been known to Change without the influence of the moon were when Mundus was in power." There was a smash as Trish dropped another plate at the mention of Mundus' name. Although she tried hard not to let it show, she was still terrified of Mundus, despite watching Dante slay him. She knew that if Mundus ever rose again to take control of the Underworld, then she would be the first person that he would come after. She shivered as she felt Dante place his hands on the bare skin of her shoulders.

"You have nothing to worry about," he assured her, lightly kissing her neck. "There is no way in Heaven or Hell that I will let him get anywhere near you." He felt Trish relax slightly and smiled. "I'm going to the library, yell if you need anything." Trish nodded and watched him leave before bending down to pick up the shattered remains of the plate.

**_Wake me up inside  
Wake me up inside  
Call my name and save me from the dark  
Bid my blood to run  
Before I come undone  
Save me from the nothing I've become_**

* * *

Somewhere in the dark, damp tunnels of a disused underground rail station, footsteps sounded out, breaking the silence. The footsteps stopped and a match was lit, illuminating a perfectly-manicured hand. The hand reached out and lit a candelbra hanging on the wall before dropping the match and pulling the candlebra from its rusty socket and continuing to walk down the never-ending tunnel. The candle was held high, shining light down onto the floor infront of it. Rats, spiders and other foul creatures scurried away, trying to get out of the light. Numerous unknown creatures were climbing all over the shadow's boots, but the shadow didn't seem to care. Its eyes were fixed on a small box of light at the end of the tunnel, nothing else. 

After a few more minutes the box began to grow until it resembled a doorway with two emormous axes placed diagonally accross its surface. On either side of the thick metal door were two gargoyles, each holding a candle.

"Mikeal, Argyle, as hith mon dier," the voice whispered in a feminine tone. Shadows creeped along the cold, stony faces of the hideous guards and the heads suddenly turned to look at the shadow. They nodded in recognition and turned to remove the axes from the door before returning to their sitting position. The creatures that were previously crawling up the shadow's leg had fled at the sudden cold draft that had suddenly swept up through the tunnel. A hand came out from the darkness and pressed up against a small indent on the surface of the door. The door started to glow before splitting into four quadrants and disappearing into the surrounding wall.

"Ashvik," said the shadow, bowing and stepping through the opened doorway. It closed almost instantly behind it. The candlebra was dropped at the feet of a confused-looking man.

**_Now that I know what I'm without  
You can't just leave me  
Breathe into me and make me real  
Bring me to life_**

"The candlebra in East Tunnel needs replacing," the shadow said, stepping out into the light. A young woman was revealed, blinking at the intensity of the artificial light. She seemed to be in her early to mid-twenties, yet she seemed older in years than any mortal could ever be. Long black hair was gently resting on her shoulders, electric blue eyes surveyed the strange surroundings and perfectly- manicured hands rested on a pair of guns holstered at her side. The weapons were exquisitly detailed, with foreign writings carved into the sleek black handles. They weren't of any mortal make, and there wasn't a single other gun in the world that matched them. She wore what seemed to be a leather catsuit, but upon closer inspection it turned out to be leather pants with a matching sleeveless top that appeared to be made out of some kind of skin. The clothes seemed to be part of her body. On top of this she wore a leather cloak. She didn't see what the fascination with leather was, but for her it lasted and that was all that mattered.

She snapped out of her reverie and walked towards a door at the other end of the cavern. An almost suffocating, musky smell invaded her nostrils and she covered her nose as she opened the door and glided up a few flights of stone steps. Upon reaching the top, she waltzed into an enormous room that in no way resembled the mud-caked tunnels below. She seemed to have entered a large mansion and was currently walking through what appeared to be the main room. Demons, vampires, werewolves, banshees and countless other nameless creatures were sat on the huge velvet divans that were randomly scattered around the room. Gothic statues and tapestries lined the walls, many of which depicted war heroes and battles of old. A particularly noticable statue stood against a wall. The entire wall was decorated with tapestries telling the life story of the man the statue was built in memory of. The shadow woman paused in front of the statue and read the nameplate.

"Sparda, Devil-Knight and protector of the second kingdom," she read aloud. One of the many tapestries showed Sparda with the head of the Demon Prince Mundus under his foot, the legendary Sparda sword resting snugly in the devil's back. An oil painting hung on the wall beside it seemed to be a family portrait. Sparda sat with his arm around a youthful-looking woman and they each had an identical child on their lap. The only difference between the two boys that she could tell was the colour of their eyes. One boy's eyes seemed calm and peacful, while the other's raged with demonic power that resembled that of his father's. Underneath the latter boy was the name 'Dante'.

**_Frozen inside without your touch,_**

**_Without your love darling,_**

**_Only you are the life among the dead_**

"Still not able to look at the real thing?" The woman turned around and found herself face-to-face with her superior, Klaud. "Selena, have you found him yet?" Selena bowed down onto her knees.

"Yes master, I have," she said. Klaud signalled for her to stand up and she obeyed. "He took on three fully-grown werewolves by himself!"

"I cannot contact him," Klaud said, looking Selena in the eyes. Selena's face was suddenly contorted with anger.

"What the hell do you mean? I have been slaving my ass off for the past month trying to find this guy!" She yelled, drawing the attention of a few immortals. "You can't just turn around and tell me that it was all for nothing!" Despite Selena's furious gaze, Klaud remained calm.

"Selena, years ago, when we spoke for the very last time, Sparda made me promise that I would keep his family out of danger. I failed to protect Eva and Vergil and I will not make the same mistake with the only descendant of Sparda that is left," Klaud explained. Selena looked over his shoulder to a small group of immortals who were looking their way.

"You owe it to him. Do you know who he is living with?" She asked. "Trish. You remember, the slave of Mundus who betrayed her master because of her love for Dante? If he really is regaining power, the first thing that he will do is hunt her down. He could never forgive her for her treachery. And Mundus isn't the type of domon who just carefully assasinates someone. Oh, no; he will kill everyone who stands in his way, especially Dante Sparda."

* * *

_**All this time I can't believe I couldn't see  
Kept in the dark but you were there in front of me  
I've been sleeping a thousand years it seems  
Got to open my eyes to everything**_

_**  
**_Dust-covered books lined the shelves, and floor, of the old library. The building that Dante used as a home and an office used to be a museam once upon a time. It belonged to one of his father's friends who left it to him in his will. When Sparda died, Dante inherited it. It proved to be extremely useful when it came to storage and training. Many the museam's gothic artifacts remained in their display cases, but there were a few empty rooms which he used for sword and gun practice. He also ensured that the library stayed intact for research purposes. It was a museam that was open only to those of immortal blood. He didn't know how or when, but somewhere along the line a spell was cast on the building to make it almost invisible to mortal eyes, although he did get the odd spiritually-concious human walking in.

Dante slumped down on a chair in the very centre of the library and flicked through the pages of the book infront of him. It was an enormous book and the cover appeared to be made out of some kind of animal hide. The word 'animal' could be used very loosely. Dante flicked through until he was relaively near the back of the book and began to study the text.

"The demon-prince Mundus will thrice challenge the powers of men. In the scriptures of Baron Lucentius it is said that when the stars flee the night and the wolves howl at the sun, the balance of power shall tip once again and darkness will seize the land. The chosen will step forward and the fate of the second kingdom will be decided." Dante shrugged.

"Dunno what the hell that means," he muttered. His eyes wandered over to the picture above the caption. It showed a beast and a man standing face-to- face, the mans face contorted with anger and fury, while the beast seemed to snarl for the pleasure of it. Behind them crouched a shadow, seemingly injured and fatigued. In the distance, tiny figures could just be made out, apparantly fighting. To the right of this scene stood a black horse, its rider also cloaked in black and holding a scythe, watching the battle. Dante moved his finger over to a message that had been scribbled in blood just underneath the picture, above the caption.

**DEATH WILL CHOOSE THE PATH, WALK IT WITH CARE**

"That writing," Dante muttered, running his fingers over the letters. He knew that writing. "Dad?"

"Wow, now I'm getting 'dad'? Such progress," Trish said, sneaking up behind him and reading the text over his shoulder.

"This is my father's handwriting," Dante explained. "I was just looking for something about the werewolves. This says something about 'howling at the sun' but I don't know if that will be any help. I'm going to look for the Baron's scriptures, they should be in here somewhere." In fact, just about every single book on demons or immortality could be found in the Devil May Cry library.

**_Without a thought without a voice without a soul  
Don't let me die here  
There must be something more  
Bring me to life_**

"Hey, all work and no play makes Dante a dull boy," Trish purred in his ear. "You can find the scriptures later. If that offer from last night is still standing then I will take it."

"I thought you were mad at me," said Dante, smiling back at her and standing up to replace the book on the shelf where it belong.

"That was yesterday, this is today, get over it!" She told him, walking over and seductively gazing up into his eyes. Dante just smiled down at her, seemingly unaffected by her display of affection.

"I can't be bothered to walk all the way back upstairs," he joked, hoping to get a reaction out of her. All she did was trace a finger down his chest and begin to loosen his robe.

"Then let's just do it here," she purred. Dante yelped and held the robe around his waist as she succeeded in her task of loosening it. In his hurry to get downstairs, he didn't have time to get dressed, or even put any underwear on. He opened his mouth to make a smart comment, but he was silenced as Trish's lips covered his own. He decided to drop it, and he did, literally, letting the robe slide gently to the floor before wrapping his arms around her. He knew that Trish was 'the one'. The moment their lips first met almost a year ago he knew that it was the way he wanted it to be for all eternity. That was happening all over again. He forgot about the werewolves and the Baron's damn scriptures. It was only him and Trish, and...the phone. Trish broke the kiss and sighed.

"Maybe we should just leave it?" She suggested. Dante looked slightly thoughtful for a few seconds before shaking his head and picking up his robe.

"It will just keep ringing until somebody answers it," he said. Trish closed her eyes before turning away and nodding.

"I understand," she whispered. Dante looked at her uncertiantly. "Trish-" He started.

"Just go, we don't want it to be ringing all day now, do we?" Dante started to walk up the stairs, back to the main part of the house, glancing back down at Trish before leaving and allowing the door to slam shut behind him.

"Why?" Trish sobbed, wiping her eyes with the back of her bare hand. Of course he loved her, he told her often enough, but lately the spark had disappeared from their relationship. Maybe he loved her, but she wasn't sure if he was still _in_ love with her.

**_Wake me up  
Wake me up inside  
I can't wake up  
Wake me up inside  
Save me  
Call my name and save me from the dark_**

"Please, Dante," she cried out to the empty room. "This is killing me, just bring me back to life. You promised that you would. You said that you would fill my dark soul with light, but the light is fading. I need your help! Please!" She collapsed against the heavy bookshelf and slid down to the floor, sobbing into her hands.

**_Bid my blood to run  
Before I come undone  
Save me from the nothing I've become  
I've been living a lie, there's nothing inside   
Bring me to life_**  
  
Somewhere, out in the dark underworld, a chilling laugh rang out through the gloomy silence and a light flickered on and off. A shadow was cast against a wall. A wall with a throne protruding from it. The shadow grew until it stretched up the entire length of the wall. Footsteps sounded, and a hand shot out, resting on the arm of the throne. On the hand there was a sign burnt into the flesh. The eye of Mundus.  
  
**AN-** Whee! Second chapter done. Thank you for the reviews! I will be sure to start my next chapter as soon as I have finished the next chapter in my Resident Evil story. Also, I can assure you that it will start to get better as this chapter was just setting the scene for things to come, really. Song credits go to Evanescence with Bring Me To Life. I added this song becasue it mainly fits in with Trish's thoughts at the end of the chapter. Also...what is up with Trish? Disclaimer - I don't own Devil May Cry, Resident Evil, Capcom or anything else that you see. I down own the story however...and Selena and Klaud.


	3. Mutter

**Chapter 2: Mutter**

**_The tears of a crowd of very old children  
I string them on a white hair  
I throw the wet chain into the air  
and wish that I had a mother_**

Eva tried to pull the sweater over Vergil's head, but the young boy refused to uncross his arms.  
  
"Vergil, stop being such a pain in the arse!" She complained as he giggled at her futile attempts to dress him.  
  
"Grow up, you are seven years old!" Dante complained. All he wanted to do was to get back home so that he could climb into his nice, warm bed and forget about the disastrous journey. What Eva had planned to be a great break for her and the boys had turned out to be the vacation from Hell.  
  
They had arrived at their destination, only to find out that the hotel that had booked into was being renovated, so they were forced to find an alternative means of accomodation. Then there was the journey. The car had stalled countless times, a storm had begun, Vergil had dropped his ice-cream down his jumper, forcing Eva to rummage around in the suitcase for a spare one and to top it all off, they had no food left which, needless to say, caused a large amount of grumbling from the twins.  
  
"Thank you!" Eva sighed as Vergil finally allowed her to pull the new jumper over his head. "Now we can go home!"  
  
"Mommy, I want some candy!" Eva sighed again and turned to face Dante.  
  
"Can't you wait until we get home, honey?" She asked, as sweetly as she could. Dante shook his head and held out his hand, into which a grumbling Eva dropped a few coins. The young boy muttered a quick thanks before jumping out of the car and running over to the service station accross the road.

**_No sun shines for me  
there was no breast that cried milk  
there is a tube that sticks in my throat  
I have no navel on my stomach_**

"You should have made him wait," Vergil said, smirking. Eva ruffled his hair before turning to look out of the window.  
  
"That's funny," she muttered, "the rain has stopped. It's like it never even started." Vergil looked over his mother's shoulder at the clear night sky and shrugged.  
  
"Whatever...Maybe dad stopped it so we could get home?" He suggested.  
  
"Vergil, your father died three years ago," said Eva, not wanting to have to explain everything to him again. "I know that in some way, he is still with us, but..." She sighed and shook her head. She missed Sparda terribly, after all, he had given her a life. She had just been a waitress at a run-down bar when she met Sparda. He used to be a frequent customer. It was in the late eighteenth century, about a decade or so since the threat of the Underworld had been exterminated.

**_Mother_**

Sparda was a regular at the old Ordoghaz, and it wasn't long before he had asked for her hand in marriage. Almost two centuries later, and she was still alive and very much youthful, despite the fact that it would be her two-hundred and twenty-first birthday next month.  
  
"Dad was an idiot, he chose the dumb mortals over the demons," Vergil muttered, staring out of the window.  
  
"Don't you dare say that ever again! Do you hear me, young man!" Eva yelled, her voice filled with rage. Vergil rolled his eyes.  
  
"If it wasn't for your father, you wouldn't be here, none of this would!" Eva continued, signalling to the dismal streets of Illiopolis. Her son, however, chose to ignore her, and just climbed into the front seat of the car and started to 'drive'. Eva muttered profanities an dshook her head at the young boy. He was only a few minutes younger than Dante, but he was still nowhere near as mature.  
  
"Mommy, what's that?" asked Vergil, pointing to a dim red light in the distance. Eva glanced up and squinted to try and get a better view.  
  
"Oh, shit!" She yelled, before grabbing Vergil and diving out of the car. She glanced up at the dragon-like shape that was closing in on them.  
  
"Dante!" She screamed, running for the gas station with Vergil under her arm. A few second before she reached the side of the road, she heard a deafening shriek which told her than she had ran out of time. Deciding that Dante would be safe since he was indoors, she took off down the street, hotly pursued by the terrifying beast. She felt her son's arms tighten around her neck as he held on for dear life. Her heart pounded in her ears as she felt herself running out of breath.

**_I was not allowed to lick any nipples  
and there was no fold to hide in  
no one gave me a name  
fathered in haste and without sperm_**

"Sparda, if you are out there, I could really use your blessing," she muttered, closing her eyes as she ground to a halt and sharply turned around. Her plan worked, and the confused beast flew right over their heads, and into a road sign. While it was distracted, Eva slid into a side-alley and followed it as far as it went.  
  
It was a particularly smelly alley, and the walls were plastered with grime and God-knows what else. The remains of flyers clung onto the wall, splattered with what looked like blood. Somehow, this place didn't seem as friendly as she had first thought. Her eyes franticaly darting around, Eva spotted a fence at the far end of the alleyway. She sprinted over to it and placed Vergil on the ground before climbing up and peering over it. It seemed safe enough, and it led into another alleyway, which looked as though it led onto the road. She could easily follow it back round to the gas station to collect Dante.  
  
"Vergil, I need to to hold onto my back, alright? Can you do that for me?" She asked, turning her attention back to the terrified child. He nodded before wrapping his arms around her shoulders and his legs around her waist from behind. Eva lifted a hand up and pulled the both of them up onto the fence. She ignored the intense heat which seemed to be emanating from something beyond the fence and pulled her head up so that she could see what she was doing. She saw nothing but rows of sharp, decaying teeth and screamed, letting go of the fence and falling backwards onto Vergil, who screamed as he hit the ground. She barely had time to breath before something lept over the fence. She rolled away just in time as it slammed down on to the spot where she lay just moments before. She pulled herself up and looked at their attacker.

It seemed like a cross between a lion and a man with a wolf's head. It's hind legs seemed almost cat-like, explaining how it had managed to leap over the fence in a split-second. It's chest was muscular, but was covered in a layer of fine hairs that made it look almost inhuman. Although muscular, ribs still protruded from the creature's chest.

**_For the mother who never gave birth to me  
I have sworn tonight   
I will send her a sickness  
and afterwards make her sink in the river_**

**_Mother_**

"Stay the Hell away from my boys!" Eva screamed, trying desperately to think of a plan.  
  
"Tell your boys to stay away from Hell," the creature replied, much to Eva's surprise. She didn't have a clue what it meant, but she decided not to worry as it leapt for her. She closed her eyes and waited for the impact, which never came. She opened her eyes to see the creature writhing around on the floor with what seemed like a shadow. She blinked again, trying to make more sense out of the situation, but failed. The creature became a whirlwind of dust, fur and blood as it wrestled continually with the mysterious apparation.  
  
"Go!" something hissed, "Take the child, protect the hunter!" Eva didn't need telling twice and she vaulted over the fence, holding Vergil's hand and sprinted down the alleyway. She came to the end and breathed a sigh of relief. The night had became silent again, which meant that either the shadow had won or the craeture had ran away. She looked back, hugging Vergil, for a second before turning round and continuing forward...into an armour-plated chest.

She looked up at an iron helmet and screamed. It was a Teufelschutz, a devil-guard. One of Mundus' personal thugs. They never did any dirty work themselves, all they usually did was stand around and look menacing. But seeing one always meant that bad things were about to happen.  
  
Eva started to walk backwards when she heard the sound of wood splintering. She spun around to see gloved hands pulling away planks of wood from the fence. A beautiful face appeared in the gap and smiled at Eva.  
  
"Eva, you must hurry. The children must not be harmed! Do not fear me.I knew your husband well, I promised him that I would let no harm come to you all," it said. Eva wasn't sure if she could trust this apparation, but she decided that she no longer had a choice as the other Teufelschutz came into view. There were always two, no more, no less. To see one was bad luck, but to see two meant certain death.

Eva ran up to the gap in the fence and pushed Vergil through. The woman on the other side pulled him out and reached through the hole to pull Eva through. She hesitated and looked back to see that there was only one Teufelschutz. The other had vanished.  
  
"The other Teufelschutz is missing!" She shrieked.  
  
"Then you must hurry, Miss Eva, we are running out of time," the woman frantically replied. Eva knew from the tone of her voice that she was terrified. This reassured her, and helped her believe that she was indeed on her side.  
  
She took the woman's hand and began to crawl through the gap when a clawed hand grabbed her leg and pulled her out before slamming her against the wall. Eva slid down next to the hole. She could feel the blood trickling down her forehead. Glancing up into emerald eyes and tried hard to speak.  
  
"Please..." she stuttered, "Take my son...Dante is at...gas station...please." Her vision was starting to blur, but she willed herself to stay awake. A hand reached through the hole and placed itself on her cheek before disapppearing along with Vergil's screaming.

**_An eel lives in her lungs  
on my forehead, a birthmark  
remove it with the kiss of a knife  
even if it causes me to die_**

Eva looked up at her attacker. It was another one of the cat-like creatures. She closed her eyes, willing death to take her away.  
  
From somewhere in the distance, she heard a voice muttering 'retrieve the boy' and she felt the creature leave her side.  
  
"Hello, Eva," someone said, cheerfully. With great difficulty, Eva opened her eyes. Had she been able to, she would have screamed.  
  
There was no mistaking the man before her. He looked in his mid-thirties, but she knew that he was older than any other immortal being. His face was tainted red, due to the fact that he had no skin, and two tiny growths rested on each temple. He was still not fully regenerated yet, but she knew who he was.  
  
"Mundus," she spat, "Leave...my boys alone." Mundus cackled, his chilling laugh piercing the calmness of the night.  
  
"And why would I want to do that?" He asked, eager to hear more of the woman's futile pleas.  
  
"Please...take my soul...just let them be," she pleaded. Mundus cackled again, amused by her pitiful begging. As if on cue, a scream tore through the air. It was female. A few seconds of silence passed before an unmistakable juvenile scream followed. The scream choked to an end and the tears streamed down Eva's cheeks.

**_Mother_**

"Now, the question is...Do I allow you to watch your elder son die, or do I just kill you right now and allow your child to witness your mangled body?" Mundus pondered. "I know which one I choose." He withdrew his sword and pointed it at Eva's chest.  
  
"Say hi to your husband for me."

* * *

Dante tugged open the gas station door, shoving the candy into his pockets. He smiled. Now he had food, and he was able to go home and get a hug from his mother. Life was good. He didn't even notice that the car was empty until he reached the front of it. He glanced through the window to see an empty driver's seat. He didn't hear the shriek from above him, but he noticed it when a bloody corpse was dropped onto the hood of the car. He looked down into the open eyes of the corpse and screamed. Eva Sparda was no more.

**_An eel lives in her lungs  
on my forehead, a birthmark  
remove it with the kiss of a knife  
even if it causes me to bleed to death_**

* * *

"Mother!" Dante screamed, bolting upright. He glanced around the room, confused and disorientated. 'It was just a nightmare,' he reassured himself. There wasn't a second that passed when he didn't think about his deceased mother, God rest her soul, but for some reason the nightmares had started to occur more frequently now.  
After the disorientation had passed, he realisd that he was in his bedroom. 'That's odd,' he though, 'I could have sworn that I fell asleep in the study'. A slight movement from beside him made him turn to see Trish sound asleep next to him. He sighed and lay back down, stroking Trish's arm. She stirred and raised her hand up to his.  
  
"I thought you were asleep," he said. Trish smiled and rolled over onto her back.  
  
"I was," she whispered. She looked up at him gazing down at her. For a split-second she thought that she saw a flicker of emotion in his eyes. Dante didn't like revealing that he had a softer side, he prefered other demons to believe that he was completely void of emotion. Maybe it was his form of self-defense, Trish didn't know.  
  
But what she did know, as she could tell from the way that he looked at her, was that somehow, somewhere deep inside of him, he truly cared for her, and that was enough to keep her going.  
  
"Dante..." she muttered. "I need to be sure of something...kiss me."  
  
For a few seconds, Dante seemed confused, but his brain soon took over, telling him 'hey, there is a beautiful woman telling you to kiss her, what is there to be confused about?' He smiled away any lingering thoughts and lowered his head, his lips lightly brushing hers. He smiled again as she tried to pull him closer, then covered her mouth with his own. It wasn't the world's most amazing kiss, there were no tongues and it didn't last longer than a few seconds, but it told Trish all that she needed to know.  
  
"Yes," she whispered as he pulled away from her. She barely had time to finish before he kissed her again, this time more meaningful. She felt his hand slide up her her thigh, and realised what his intentions were. She hated it when he did that; turn a completely innocent moment into something entirely sinful. But this time she decided to let it slide. After all...he owed her.

**_Mother  
Oh give me strength_**

* * *

**AN**- Maybe I will rewrite that chapter? The bit with Eva and Vergil in just didn't sound right. I promise you that it will get better, so bear with me (sp?). Thanks to a DMC3 article, a few crazy dreams, the DMC3 trailer, a Rammstein song and countless hours of extreme boredom, I have thought of a few little twists for the story. Well, when I say twists, I mean that the story won't really go where I first planned it. And speaking of Rammstein, the song credits go to them with their song 'Mutter' (Mother). I translated it because it would make no sense if I used the German lyrics, would it? Unless of course you are fluent in German. And, yes, I know that it is an odd song, especially for this chapter, but...whatever. It is about not having a mother, and Dante doesn't have a mother...see the link? No? Oh, well.  
  
**Disclaimer** - I own neither DMC nor Rammstein (though I would like to see them live). I do, however, own Selena (you will find out why I keep referring to her as a 'shadow' shortly), who gets a brief mention in this chapter. 


	4. The Last Demon

**Hunter by The Magnificent Kiwi**

**Chapter Two - The Last Demon**

Selena grumbled as she vaulted over the barricade infront of the disused subway station.

"Unimportant my ass," she fumed. Klaud had spent the past hour giving her a lecture on loyalty and obeying orders, but that wasn't going to stop the raven-haired demon from finding the demon-hunter. It was early morning and, thankfully, most mortals were still asleep. The sun had begun to rise much to her delight. The person whom she seeked wouldn't dare venture out in the sunlight.

She dashed down to the subway station and was pleased to find that an almost empty train stood waiting for people to board. The usual people were there, a homeless man asleep on the seats, a few kids with outrageous hairstyles and the odd businessman reading the morning's paper. Needless to say, a few looks were shot her way as she boarded. Whether it was because she hadn't paid or because she wore strange attire, she didn't know, and didn't really care. She didn't really have much time to change before leaving the mansion, so she remained in her evening wear; a gothic dark- blue corset dress, which the serving-girl had picked out for her.

She looked around the inside of the train as it pulled away from the station. It didn't seem much different than usual, but something lingered in the air. The demoness sniffed the air and recoiled from the stench that invaded her nostrils. Something wasn't right. She let go of the pole that she was gripping and wandered uneasily down to the back of the trembling train. For a second she could have sworn that a cold breeze passed throughout the train. Papers rustled and windows rattled, causing Selena's unease to increase.

"Iseth ahret moreth." Selena jumped. That voice wasn't human. And from the look of things, non of the humans had heard it either. She didn't even need to think to translate it. After all, she had grown up speaking the demonic language of Nasgarth.

"Come, mere mortals," it spoke. The dialect spoken was not what she had learnt. There were four different variations of Nasgarth. This was serpentine, spoken mainly by serpents and hell-worms. It was most distinguishable by the smooth syllables, and when spoken, it sounded like a complicated hissing. What surprised Selena, was the ferocity of the voice. Usually, speakers of serpentine were the least vicious of the demons, and rarely attacked unless provoked. They had been subdued since the days of Mundus' reign. What scared her the most, though, was the knowledge of how violent these creatures were during the time that Mundus was on the throne. After his demise, they hid in the shadows, feeding off weeds and rats.

"Isch canth shirh desh firsch asch mansch," it spoke again.

"I can smell the filth of man," Selena repeated under her breath.

"Isch nasch finsh flesch ich barh," it hissed.

"I haven't tasted flesh for an age," Selena repeated, this time out loud.

The other occupants of the train turned to look at her with astonishment. A loud roar pierced through the air, causing screams to echo throughout the train. A quick glance out of the back window revealed a red light, growing with rapid speed. The fact that they were inside a tunnel didn't comfort her much. She saw that she was running out of time. She had to take action. "Alright! Can I get everybody to move to the front of the train, please?" She yelled, not taking her eyes off the glowing light. She didn't hear the sound of rushing feet, like she had hoped, so she turned around.

"What is wrong with you people? Move!" She yelled, but they still took no notice.

"Look, miss," said a balding businessman, getting to his feet.

"This is a public transport, so-" He was cut off by the sound of metal being ripped apart and electrical cables sizzling. Selena spun around to see that a few feet of train had disappeared from the end of the carriage. The missing part suddenly crashed down onto the tracks behind her, sending sparks flying all over the tunnel. An ominous rumbling echoed throughout the tunnel and the red light returned, this time shining from the huge eyes of a monster. It looked like a giant worm, but the skin on what appeared to be its front end retracted, revealing a hideous face, of the likes that appeared in children's nightmares. It had no nose, and it's eyes were small enough to be missed if they weren't emitting a translucent light of some sort. Its circular mouth seemed to cover most of its face, and when it opened, rows and rows of razor-sharp teeth were revealed. This was a hell- worm.

The business man whimpered and scuttled down the far end of the garage, closely followed by the kids and the homeless man. Selena took small steps back, never taking her eyes off the worm. It observed her, moving its head from left to right as if it was assessing the situation. From beside her, she heard a voice speak.

"We need help," it said. Turning so that she could see the speaker, she saw that it was a young girl, no older than fifteen, speaking into her cell phone from under a seat.

"A big worm...a hell-worm, I think. I don't know! Somewhere in a tunnel! We have just left west-side station...hello?" The young girl threw her cell phone aside in frustration and looked up at Selena. The older demon could see the colour leaving the girl's eyes and before long they were completely black.

"Go, miss, I can handle this!" She said, standing up. Selena was about to protest when the girl threw her aside with such force that cracks were left where she hit the window. Blinking the stars from her eyes, Selena looked up to see the pigment leave the girl's skin. Her hair blew about in a non- existent breeze and a thin mist circled her as she stepped forward towards the hell-worm. The hell-worm opened its large mouth and dove for the train, only to stop when the mist reached it. Seemingly blinded, the light in its eyes went out and it convulsed violently, falling behind into the darkness. The girl smiled and fixed her hair as she returned to normal. Selena uneasily rose to her feet, gripping onto a seat for support.

"What...? You're a...?" She stammered. The girl nodded.

"My name is Aurora," the girl told her, holding out her hand, which Selena shook.

"Well, thank you, Aurora," Selena said, glad that the threat was over. She sat down on the seat behind her and beckoned for the girl to join her.

"My name is Selena," she informed her. "You know, you rarely see Banshee's this far from marshes." Aurora chuckled.

"Actually, there is a marsh a few kilometres into the woodland over the other side of Illiopolis. And the plural is the same...Banshee, not Banshee's." Selena smiled. The girl reminded her of herself, even physically. She had long, ebony locks, though much longer than Selena's, but her eyes were a calm blue, unlike Selena's, which were currently a dark brown. Selena was roughly pulled from her daydream as the all-too-familiar rumbling came yet again from the dark depths of the tunnel.

"Oh, shit, not again!" She moaned, jumping up and grabbing a loose metal pole that was lying around from the worm's previous attack. She didn't think that it would be much help, but it was better than nothing.

"Everybody get to the front of the train!" She yelled. This time, everyone obeyed. Selena ran after then, closely followed by the young Aurora, when a loud roar told them that the hell-worm was upon them once more. Suddenly, the lights in the carriage went out and the two immortals were left in complete darkness.

Things became worse when they felt the carriage move. It wasn't moving forward, as it should be, but was instead moving upwards, being lifted off the tracks. Selena heard Aurora scream as the carriage was tilted, causing loose seating and poles to fall down out of the train. It was then that Selena realised where they were. Teeth came through the sides and the metal was torn as if it were paper. The hell-worm was trying to eat the carriage that contained them. So far, it was having trouble succeeding.

Looking up, Selena saw that the carriage had broken off from the rest of the train, leaving the door above her open and leading to freedom. She dropped the pole she was clinging onto and raised her hand to reach for the open doorway when she heard Aurora scream again. She looked down to see the young Banshee falling. Wasting no time, she fell backwards, gripping onto Aurora's hand and quickly wrapping her legs around a pole. She was too tired to summon her inner demon; so flying out of the carriage was out of the question. She heard the metal tearing away, and saw the teeth edging closer and closer to her vulnerable form. Looking down into Aurora's eyes, she could see the fear. It reminded her...  
  
_She was running as fast as she could, but somehow, it didn't seem fast enough. Vergil wouldn't keep still, causing her to constantly shift her grip on him. The fact that she was running on the rooftop of an apartment building also didn't help. She didn't expect the felwolf to jump out at her. It caught her off guard, causing her to jump aside in shock, crashing through the barrier and falling down towards the street. She screamed; she couldn't help it. She was relatively new to all this warrior business, and was actually scared of heights. However, it was a fear that she would learn to overcome in the years that followed. _

_She was jerked back when her foot caught on some sort of wire. It was later revealed to be a washing line. She stopped screaming and lashed her arms out, hoping to grab on to something. What she found was a small hand. Vergil whimpered and Selena stopped his descent. He grabbed onto her arm with both hands an looked up into her eyes. Their emerald colour faded into blue, then brown, then grey before melting into a fiery red. The young boy could feel her skin start to warm. She screamed again as she felt her spine crack, and the skin break as the bone wind its way out of her body. Tiny veins and blood vessels crept along the growing bones, starting to form a pair of wings. She didn't care how much it hurt; she knew that she had to get the boys to safety. She looked down at Vergil, whom she could was petrified, and smiled. It was going to be ok. Her head snapped to the side when she heard a bat-like shriek. Talons slashed at her arm, causing her grip to loosen, and she felt Vergil's hand slip away from her own. _

_"NO!" she screamed, watching the boy fall. He screamed, but the scream turned to a strangled noise as the flying creature snatched him from the air.  
_  
Selena shrieked as her flashback ended. She let Vergil go, but there was no way that she would let the same happen to Aurora. She tightened her grip and began to focus on the powers deep within her. She didn't care if it wore her out; all she needed was a few seconds. She could feel the changes starting to take place. She grimaced with pain as her spine split in two. It wasn't as painful as it was twenty years ago. She felt the bar holding her bend under her newly-acquired weight. It was working. She thought. Suddenly, she felt her spine reform, and her skin begin to cool.

"No!" She said aloud. She wasn't strong enough yet. Her view started to distort and she could feel sleep beckoning her. Her grip on Aurora began to weaken, and after a few seconds she felt her legs unwrap from around the pole.

* * *

Dante sprinted down the subway tracks. He could smell the monster. From what he heard from the girl, it sounded like a hell-worm. It surprised him that they had merged from hiding. They knew that he would pick them off one- by-one if they started to attack people again. He could hear screams and the creaking of metal; by the sounds of it, the beast had already chewed off half of the train. 

A blinding white light pierced the darkness of the tunnel and a scream tore out through the air. He had to stop and place his hands over his ears. The chilling scream seemed to crawl through his veins, sucking every last scent of humanity from him. He knew that it was a Banshee. They were known mainly in Ireland as omens of death. To hear the scream of a Banshee was fatal. The truth was that Banshees were a very spiritual race who lived mainly in marshland and valleys. They spent their entire existences alone, occasionally feeding off the odd trespasser who wandered into their domain. Their screams, however, drove mortals insane; often making them unwillingly carry out insane acts, like suicide. Also, if a Banshee got too close to a mortal, it could suck out its soul by simply screaming.

Dante felt a hand on his shoulder. Trish was always a few steps behind him. The scream didn't seem to affect her. She obviously had too much demonic blood in her veins. The scream came to an abrupt end and a large object came crashing towards the two hunters. Grabbing Dante, Trish rolled out of the way, just in time to avoid being rushed by an enormous tail. Dante blinked, trying to regain his focus as Trish helped him to his feet. When his vision became clear again, he saw the hell-worm's thick tail lying a few feet from him, occasionally moving from side to side. Without hesitating, he drew his sword and sent it through the thick flesh, drawing an ear-splitting scream from the hell-worm. From the tunnel ahead, a loud crash could be heard. Dante followed the hell-worm's long body, eventually reaching part of a train which looked as though it had been through a grinder. He could hear voices from inside the train; there were obviously people trapped inside.

"Trish, there are people in the train! Get them out, I'll handle the worm," Dante yelled, once again drawing his sword. The hell-worm's face was covered with a layer of skin, which completely covered its mouth. Its eyes were only just visible between two folds of skin. It was trying to decide which of the four demons to kill first.

Trish ran round the back of the train carriage, which was lying on its side, searching for a way in. One of the windows hadn't been completely squashed, and there was just enough room for a small person to fit inside. Hearing a roar, she looked up to see the huge worm dive for Dante, who leapt up at the last minute, landing on the beast's head. She ignored the battle taking place, and proceeded to crawl through the window, landing with a crash on the other side. She felt protruding pieces of metal pierce her skin as she landed, causing her to scream out in agony. Voices could be heard, so she pushed herself up, ducking slightly to avoid scratching her head on the broken window frames.

* * *

Dante tried to grab onto the fold of skin above the creatures eyes, but it moved, causing him to fall. He hit the ground hard, sending a pain shooting up his side. He heard Trish scream from inside the train. He was overcome with the urge to jump in after her, but now was not the time to allow personal feelings to interfere. 

He jumped back up, thrusting his sword above him, pushing it into the underbelly of the hell-worm. While it was momentarily blinded with pain, Dante sheathed his sword and pulled out his pistols, firing an endless volley of bullets at the worm. His plan, however, didn't work, as the worm's tail came lashing up, effortlessly ramming into him. He felt the train move slightly behind him as he crashed into it, dazed by th surprise attack. He could feel warm blood trickling down his forehead, but he just raised a hand and wiped it away.

"You are really starting to irritate me," He said aloud, feeling the rage building up inside him.

* * *

Trish stumbled as the train moved a few inches. She frantically looked around, trying to find the trapped people. 

"Hello? Is there anyone in here?" She asked. "Over here!" She heard, coming from her left. She ducked underneath the caved-in side and peered through a pile of metal poles that were possibly handrails once upon a time. She could see someone moving.

"How many of you are there?" She asked.

"Two," was the reply. "But the girl is injured." Trish swore and, summoning up all of her strength, pushed the roof/side of the carriage up a few inches, allowing enough space for her to crawl through. It wasn't an easy task, however, as various parts of what was designed to keep passengers safe, ripped her skin and clothes as she slid past them.

When she finally crawled through, she saw the survivors. A young woman was sat with a teenage girl across her knees. The girl's face was battered and bruised, and she appeared to be unconscious.

"Please help us!" The woman pleaded. "She needs medical attention." Trish climbed closer to the two females, taking care with each step.

"She is a Banshee," she muttered, pushing stray hairs out of the girl's face.

"Yes," the woman said. "Her name is Aurora. Mine is Selena."

"Trish," Trish said, not bothering to look at the woman.

"She won't go through that hole back there, not without getting injured further. I could try to open the doorway a bit further, but-" She was cut off as the carriage moved again, this time more violently.

* * *

Dante jumped over the tail as it came towards him once more. He smiled smugly at the hell-worm. 

"Hah! You're gonna have to try better than that, Kelshak," he taunted. The beast let out a furious scream. Kelshak was the most offensive term in Nasgarth. It was in the goblish dialect, but the worm still understood.

In a fit of rage, it bashed into the carriage, causing a scream from within. Now it knew that there were still people alive inside it. It crashed into it again, this time sending it rolling down the tunnel before turning to the demon-hunter and knocking him aside again.

* * *

Selena screamed as the carriage rolled over again and again. She tried to hold on to Aurora, but she easily rolled out of her grip. She kept bashing into Trish, the protruding shards of metal drawing blood from both demonesses. The train abruptly rolled to a stop when it collided with something. Selena looked up to see the scaly flesh of the hell-worm's body through holes in the carriage. she also saw it move away. Its next move was obvious; it was preparing to send the carriage flying for a second time. 

'I can't allow that to happen!' Selena thought. She could feel her demonic blood boil. This was going to hurt, but she didn't care.

* * *

Dante pushed himself up with great difficulty. 'This thing is going to ruin my reputation,' he thought. He hated to think what the other demons would be saying when they heard that he got his ass kicked by a fifty-foot worm. The thought was unbearable. 

He saw the train roll to a halt, and the hell-worm's tail back up for another swing. He was about to make a move when something burst out of the carriage with incredible speed. After a few seconds, it seemed to disappear. The worm stopped its attack and looked around, confused. Dante could see a shadow creep along its back towards its head, then he heard it scream when blood started spurting out from one of its eyes, spraying all over him.

He knew that this was his chance, jumping up into the air, he drew his sword and sent it down, slicing the dreaded creature in two. The howl was almost unbearable as the hell-worm thrashed about for a while before crashing down onto the rail tracks.

With a few words muttered by Dante and a final swipe of the Sparda sword, it dissolved into a pool of blood, which vanished through the ground and back down into Hell, where it belonged. Breathing heavily, Dante looked up to see the shadow slowly flicker into view, revealing a black/dark-blue demon.

"Whew," it said. "That's the last time I take the subway." Dante chuckled, turning towards the remains of the train. He saw Trish walk over to him, carrying a young girl in her arms.

"All done?" She asked. The demon-hunter nodded.

"We have to get her back to the surface," the demon said, slowly turning back into a raven-haired woman. "She is injured, we need to treat her."

* * *

"How is she doing?" Dante asked, observing the demon as she dressed the last of the girl's wounds. 

"She's doing fine," she replied. "I didn't catch your name," Dante said, trying to start a conversation.

"My name is Selena Di Moriati," she replied. "The girl is a Banshee named Aurora." Dante nodded. He noticed that she failed to mention what she was.

"You are a shadow demon, aren't you?" He asked. Selena paused for a moment before turning to him and nodding.

"And that would mean that you are the only one left?" Dante questioned further. "The rest perished at the end of the Great War."

Selena nodded again, blinking tears from her eyes.

"My village was the last known dwelling of shadow demons," She said, her voice full of sorrow. "Our species were condemned by Mundus for refusing to fight. We fight for ourselves, we don't like being ordered around. Your father, the great Sparda, gave us a safe passage out of Hell. He gave us a chance for a real life. Just days before the war ended, our village was attacked by Mundus' army. My parents locked me in a cupboard in the basement and went out to protect the village. I heard there screams as they were mercilessly slain. I was only eight months old. Somehow, they didn't find me. A few hours later, Sparda found me. He took me home and raised me until I was old enough to decide what to do. Most shadow demons stop ageing when they reach twenty-one. I joined a team of demon assassins. I wanted to train to avenge my species' extinction. I fought alongside your father on his last ever mission. He told me that his time was over. He said that his sons would carry on his good work, and I must protect them, and his wife. I failed to protect Eva, and the demons snatched Vergil from my hands. I managed to keep them from finding you, however. Then I found out that Vergil didn't die. He was still alive, and he still might be. But maybe he would have been better off dead. Mundus made a deal with him, and Vergil became one of his most loyal followers. Until you unknowingly defeated him a year ago. But you didn't kill him. After finding that you were still alive, and probably strong enough to defeat Mundus once and for all, he refused to rejoin him. A few days ago, Mundus was resurrected once again. His first task is revenge. He has already killed one of the servants that betrayed him last year. There are three more left; a demon named Jeseph, Vergil and...Trish. Then he will come after you. My superior, Klaud, tried to stop me from finding you, but...After letting him take your family away from you, I wouldn't want you to lose another one you love."

Dante blinked, shocked by her words. Was it true? Was Mundus at large once again? Selena had a point; he didn't think that he could cope with losing Trish. Not again. And was Vergil really still alive?

* * *

Trish slid down the wall. She normally didn't eavesdrop, but she had to listen in when she heard Mundus' name being mentioned. She knew it. For the past few days it had felt like someone, or something, was watching her. But now, she had lost all hope of starting a life with Dante. She couldn't give him what he wanted. After all, how could you be there for someone when you are dead?

* * *

**AN-** That dragged on a bit, didn't it? Oh, well...At least I finally got it finished! I have been trying to write my Resident Evil fic, as well as this one, while doing tons of homework as well. This is supposed to be the bleeding holidays! Anyway, thank you very much to the few people who have reviewed, they make me very happy :) (reviews), so...hint, hint...Go on, press that button, you know you want to... 


	5. Waiting For The Heavens

**Chapter Four**

**_Waiting For The Heavens_**

God help my save tomorrow from fear of darkest hour.  
this world in pain, it's time to rise again.  
this life is so called murder.  
staring at angry horror.  
don't want to live today when all I feel is pain.  
and I pray that I would fall apart.  
I know this world's the enemy.

**_Eighteen Visions - Waiting For The Heavens_**

The rain had stopped, and so had the sirens. A little boy sat alone on the steps of a service station, clutching a blood-stained sweater. His mother and brother were both dead, there was no doubt about that.

He watched on with tears in his eyes as Eva was zipped into a body bag and lifted into the back of a black van. The police had tried to console him, but it was all to no avail. They had given him Vergil's sweater, which was found in a pool of blood in a back alley a block or so away, and after that he had refused to speak to anyone.

He felt someone walk up to him, but he didn't respond. He felt them stop and crouch down beside him.

"Dante," the person said. Dante didn't answer. He didn't even look at the man.

"My name is Klaud, I was a friend of your fathers," he explained. He reached out a hand and placed it on Dante's shoulder.

"I don't expect you to understand all of this, at least not yet, but I want you to come with me. My people will protect you until you are old enough to defend yourself. What you do after that is up to you."

"And what if I don't want to go with you?" Dante asked, his voice barely audible. For the first time in hours, the boy moved, turning to look at Klaud.

Klaud reminded him of a librarian he once met. He wore glasses, and had a full head of dark brown hair, but still looked quite old. He also had an abnormally large nose, Dante noticed. He remembered the librarian staring down his long nose at him and asking, no, yelling, why he thought it neccesary to put a slug in his sandwich. Dante, of course, had no idea what he was talking about, but when he saw Vergil rolling on the floor laughing, he knew what this was about. He was always getting blamed for crimes that his twin had committed.

He did find it quite amusing, however, that the librarian had failed to notice his slug sandwich until he had ate (and seemingly enjoyed) most of it.

Dante smiled as he reminisced. Although he thought that his brother was an ungrateful brat, he still loved him and, regardless of what anyone else said, they had fun together.

"That's better," Klaud said, smiling back at Dante. "Although, I can assure you that I am nothing like that awful librarian." Dante gasped and stared into Klaud's dark brown eyes.

"How-how did you know what I was thinking?" he asked, genuinely amazed. Klaud tapped the side of his nose and smiled again.

"Maybe I'll tell you someday. That is, if you come with me," he replied. Dante surveyed the older man's face, taking in every freckle and wrinkle. There was something about the man that made him feel at ease. Maybe it was his warm smile, or his soothing voice, he just couldn't put his finger on it.

"I-Uh-Maybe I will," Dante replied, eager to find out more about this man.

"If it is revenge that you want, Dante, I can help you get it."

* * *

The incessant ticking of the clock awoke the demon hunter. It seemed louder than usual, but he dismissed it. His head was always funny when he first woke up. It took him a few minutes to realise that someone else was in the room. 

"Are you alright?" They asked. He raised his head off the desk a few inches to see a dark brunette woman staring down at him.

"Sylvia?" He asked. The woman smiled at him and then looked up at the clock.

"Hey, you're asleep early; it's only half past ten," she said. Dante rubbed his eyes and stood up. That meant that he had been sleeping for over twelve hours. Darkness had obviously fallen, otherwise Sylvia wouldn't be there.

Sylvia was a vampire, and one of Dante's oldest friends. Infact, she was the daughter of Lord Nicholas, theruler of the vampires. She acted as Dante's secretary. Although he didn't really need one, she insisted on helping him out, and he appreciated it.

"I doubt that I will be sleeping tonight, anyway," Dante said. "We have guests, by the way; a Demon and a Banshee. Try to be nice to them, please." He turned his back on the vampiress and walked up to the spare room, where he had allowed the 'guests' to sleep. They were both awake, and were chatting about ancient prophecies when Dante walked in.

"Sleep well?" He asked. They both nodded and then Aurora escused herself, wandering out into the hallway. Dante watched her until she vanished from his sight before turning back to Selena.

"We need to do something," he said, sitting on the bed beside her. "Last night, I dreamt about the night that my mother died...again. I think that someone is trying to tell me something. This time, I remembered a guy called Klaud. He took me in and... But I just don't understand any of this...Lord Nicholas raised me, not Klaud."

Selena stood up and picked a coat up off the floor. Trish had gave her some clothes to wear, seeing as her dress was damaged beyond repair. She now wore black jeans and a black shirt. Trish hated those clothes, which was why she gave them away so 'generously'. She wore them when trying to blend in with the mortals, which wasn't very often anymore.

"Klaud is my superior." Selena explained. She closed her eyes and wandered over to the small window. "I think that we should see him. Maybe he will be able to give you the answers that you seek."

Trish awoke from her slumber and groaned, rubbing her eyes. Every part of her ached; her head, her back, her butt, everything. She tried to remember the previous night, only to fall back down onto the bed as a wave of nausea hit her. A quick glance out of the window told her that it was still nighttime. She lifted her aching body off the bed and stumbled towards the door.

"'lo?" she called out weakly. She cleared her throat and tried again.

"Hello?" She heard voices from downstairs; it was obvious that Sylvia had arrived.

"Hey," she heard from behind her. She spun around to face Dante and smiled.

"What is it now?" she enquired.

"We have to leave," he explained, provoking a groan from Trish. "Trish, I know that we went through hell last night, but we still aren't safe...I know that something is going on, it started with the werewolves, and now that worm in the tunnel. I don't like being kept in the dark; I need to find out what the hell is going on." Trish raised an eyebrow.

"Nicholas, right?" she asked. Dante didn't reply. She smirked and turned away. She didn't like Lord Nicholas much. He was a vampire, and in Trish's opinion all vampires were the same. All they ever did was sit around in their cosy mansions, laughing at the pathetic beings who protected and preserved life as they knew it.

"He won't help you," she told the demon hunter. "The day that I see a vampire fight will be the day that we are free of Mundus." Dante stared at her. She became more and more like Eva every day. The silence was broken by the shrill ringing of the telephone. Dante shook his head and walked over to Trish, placing a hand on each of her shoulders.

"I am doing this for you," he said. "I am not going to lose another loved one to that monster."

* * *

The centre of the city of Illiopolis was constantly busy; even at midnight. In the exact centre of the town, there stood an ancient cathedral, once the main attraction of the town. Now, all that remained of its magnificence was an empty shell; a soulless pile of rubble and glass. A few floors still stood, however, and the main courtyard remained perfectly preserved. 

The cathedral was once home to the high priest Jaques Illiopolis, a wise and noble man. The high priest was not human, nor were any of his subjects. The cathedral was run by those who had sworn to protect the innocent. When the dark lord Mundus found out about such an establishment, he burned it to the ground, slaughtering every human in the city. It was this act that caused Sparda to rethink his purpose, and question his loyalty to Mundus.

It signalled the beginning of the end of the Great War. It wasn't long before Mundus was on his knees, begging Sparda to spare his life.

Sparda had agreed, and sealed the dark lord in a space between heaven and hell. The only thing that kept him there was Sparda, who gave up a part of his soul in order to ensure that Mundus remained trapped for all eternity. But Sparda wasn't invincible, and eventually passed away. The seal that seperated Mundus from the mortal realm was weakened and his servants broke him free, where he sought revenge on Sparda, only to find that his enemy had already perished at the hands of father time. Instead, he took out his rage on Sparda's family, only to have his eldest son escape with his life. Twenty years later, they fought, and Mundus lost, sealed once again in his unholy prison.

But Dante lacked the neccessary skills to eternally imprison one of Mundus' power, and he easily escaped. Mundus has scores to settle now, and unlike Selena predicted, he wasn't about to organise how he killed people.

Now, on the courtyard of the legendary cathedral, a single man fought off an endless wave of attacking Demons. He knew that this was it for him, he had betrayed Mundus and now he must pay the price.

"But fuck if he is going to beat me now!" He screamed, grabbing a demon by the claw and throwing it into a pillar, sending bits of stone and marble flying into the night. The man stopped to breathe and walked to the edge of the courtyard.

"Son of a bitch!" He yelled at the incapacitated demon. He wandered back into the middle of the courtyard.

"Anyone else?" He yelled to no-one. "Come on! Is that all you've got, you ugly fuck?!" He laughed manically and stepped back into a beam of moonlight. His face was illuminated by the silvery light, and a youthful man was revealed. His face was perfectly constructed, and silver hair fell down over his tired features. He raised a hand and pushed his hair back, revealing a small scar over his right eye.

"You can't fuck with me!" He yelled once more at the black sky. He was replied with an ear piercing screech, and a huge winged beast flew over the top of the courtyard and away into the city.

"Uh-oh," he muttered, pulling a cell phone out of his pocket. "Nice one, Vergil! You come to town to visit family and you end up bringing the whole sodding army here!"

* * *

"I thought that we were going to see Nicholas?" Trish asked, closely following Dante and the two female demons. 

"I had to say something, otherwise you wouln't have left the house," Dante explained, smirking slightly.

"Then where are we going?" Trish enquired.

"Ashbury Mansion." Selena replied, not bothering to turn around. She led the small group out into the street, facing the Ordoghaz. Trish grabbed her shoulders and violently spun her around.

"Are you insane?!"She screamed. "That place is full of demons! Mundus is sure to search for me there!" Selena smiled at the young devil.

"With the defense that we now have, he would be a fool to even think about attacking there," she reassured her. "For centuries we have been gathering and training an army capable of taking on Mundus, should he ever decide to declare war on us again." Selena paused and signalled to the bar across the road. "One of the entrances to the mansion is in the back of Ordorghaz. It is impossible to enter the mansion directly; you must gain access through one of seven underground passageways throughout the city. Come. We must hurry."

* * *

"Hmm, interesting," the man said, gazing down upon the four demons as they entered the ancient bar. "Maybe this is my chance." He leapt down infront of the Ordoghaz and entered, carelessly pushing a wandering mortal out of his way. 

It was almost midnight and the bar/club was almost full. Luckily, Vergil was quite tall and was able to peer over the heads of the other demons. His eyes wandered around the crowded room, eventually resting on a closing door in the far corner, behind the bar. Vergil smiled and wandered over to the bar, ignoring the enquiring stares of the other demons.

"Dante?" asked the bar tender. "Didn't you just pass through here?"

Vergil faked a confused look and raised his eyebrows at the man. He briefly glanced down at his name tag, which read 'Harvey'.

"Don't be a dumbass, Harvey," Vergil replied, trying not to arouse the man's suspicion. "Not unless there are two of me, and we can't have that now, can we?" Harvey shook his head.

"I guess not. One of you is bad enough...hey, what did you do to your eye?" Vergil raised a hand to the scar over his right eye.

"Oh, um....Trish. You know, women get kinda rowdy," he lied. Dante had given him the scar when they had fought on Mallet Island. "Talking about Trish, did she pass here? We were going to pay a visit to an old friend up in Ashbury Mansion, but she ran off ahead of me."

Harvey threw a questioning glance at Vergil before signalling to the door that Vergil saw closing earlier. Harvey led him through the door, into a small backroom. He walked over to a carpet over by the far wall and pulled it away, revealing a trap door.

"Follow the tunnel straight on...it's a hike, but you'll get there in the end," the nervous bartender explained. He raised a hand to his forhead, and wiped a layer of sweat away. "Greet the guardians and they will let you pass. But whatever ya do, don't insult them or it will be the last thing you do."

Vergil thanked Harvey before opening the trap door and descending into the tunnel below.

"Are we there yet?" Dante asked, trudging through inches of murky water.

"No," Selena replied. "And just for the record, the answer to the next question will be no."

Trish rolled her eyes. They had been walking for ages and her feet were atarting to hurt. On top of that, she was sick of Dante's childish whining. He was like an annoying little brother on a long car journey. She looked up and saw a bright light at the end of the tunnel. 'Eventually!' she thought. As they drew closer, she could make out two gargoyles against a stone wall. In between the two gargoyles was a circular door with two enormous axes across it. 'Oh great,' she thought. 'We finally get there and the way is locked'.

Selena walked up to the two guardians and cleared her throat.

"As hith mien dieros, " she spoke. Dante felt Aurora move beside her.

"What is she saying?" she asked. Dante closed his eyes in thought for a few seconds before replying.

"I think that she said 'let us pass'." The two gargoyles moved, causing Trish and Aurora to jump back a few feet. They moved slowly, studying Dante, Aurora and Trish very carefully. They nodded and removed the axes from the door, allowing the demons to pass.

Selena led them up stairs and past numerous guards into the mansion. The mansion was crowded; an unusual sight for the middle of the night. Countless vampires were gathered around the windows, peering out over the mansion's many acres of land. The group could tell just by looking at them that they were hungry, and beginning to get agitated.

"He is here," Selena said. "Lord Nicholas."

* * *

AN - I didn't want to end it there, but I need to update, and I am getting tired so I will finish it off soon. Also, I apologise for the delay. Homework and illnesses have taken their toll, but I am back and have numerous ideas, so I will hopefully get the next chapter up within the next month. Thank you all for reading, and Happy New Year! 


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